Along with a new Echo Show 8, Amazon has updated it smaller Echo Show 5 smart display. It’s effectively the same smart clock radio as the previous model, with no significant changes to the screen or speaker, for the same $84.99. The camera sees a minor update, but it isn’t quite the same step up in image quality as you get with the new Echo Show 8. There’s really no reason to upgrade if you own the original model, but for new users, the second-generation Echo Show 5 remains a handy, affordable smart display that’s small enough to fit pretty much anywhere you need Alexa and a screen.
It Looks Exactly the Same
The second-gen Echo Show 5 is almost physically identical to the first one. It’s still effectively a miniature Echo Show 8, a vaguely Toblerone-shaped device with a triangular side profile that lets it sit with the screen tilted back slightly. It measures 3.4 by 5.8 by 2.9 inches (HWD), and is available in black, blue, or white.
The 5.5-inch, 960-by-480-pixel touch screen is surrounded by a black border that’s flush with the screen, with a camera in the top right corner. The top edge holds two pinholes for the far-field microphones, a mechanical switch for the camera shutter, and mic mute and volume up/down buttons.
The back of the new Echo Show 5 holds the only physical change. There’s a connector for the power adapter and a micro USB port for service, but the 3.5mm audio output from the previous model has been removed. This means you can no longer use a wire to send the smart display’s sound to your speaker of choice (though it can output audio over Bluetooth if the speaker doesn’t require a PIN code to pair).
Internally, the Show 5 still runs on the same MediaTek MT8163 processor and uses the same 1.65-inch speaker driver for audio. The only hardware change is that the 1MP front-facing camera has been replaced by a 2MP sensor. It’s an upgrade, though it isn’t quite the 1MP-to-13MP jump made by the Echo Show 8, which also adds digital pan and zoom to automatically track you on video calls.
Alexa Features
As an Amazon smart display, the Echo Show 5 uses Amazon’s digital assistant for all voice controls. You can use it to ask for general information like weather and sports scores, with the answers coming both through Alexa’s voice and on the touch screen. Alexa can also tell you your schedule and check your email, again with informative text appearing on the screen.
If you have smart home devices that are compatible with Alexa, you can control them by voice or touch, with relevant control panels and home security camera feeds popping up on request. You can also use the Echo Show 5’s own camera to monitor your home through the Alexa app.
For content, you can ask Alexa to play music, shows, and movies from a variety of services. The Echo Show 5 supports audio from Amazon Music, Apple Music, Audible, SiriusXM, and Spotify. You can also ask for videos from Amazon Prime Video and Netflix (but not Hulu, which is available on the Echo Show 8), though the tiny screen isn’t the most comfortable way to watch a film. More targeted news and activity services are also available through Alexa, like Food Network Kitchen for recipes, NPR for news, and Red Bull TV for sports.
For video calls, the Echo Show 5 supports Amazon’s Drop In feature to other Echo smart displays or anyone using the Alexa mobile app, as well as Skype.
It’s worth noting that while setting up the Echo Show 5, it will prompt you to opt in or out of the Amazon Sidewalk system. Amazon Sidewalk is a low-power wireless mesh network that ensures certain smart home devices continue to work outside of your home, functioning out into your neighborhood thanks to other users’ networks. It’s a useful idea, but it poses privacy and security concerns, and we recommend disabling it.
Echo Show 5 Audio and Camera Performance
Because the Echo Show 5’s screen and speaker are identical to its predecessor, you can expect the same performance. On the video side, the screen offers a fairly bright, colorful picture, though it’s both smaller and lower resolution than the Echo Show 8. It isn’t necessarily the best way to watch videos, but it doesn’t look washed out or overly pixelated.
The sound is good for a bedside radio, but it won’t exactly fill a room like the Echo Show 8 (which itself won’t drive a party). We go into more details in our review of the previous model, but you can expect weak bass and little high-frequency clarity on the Echo Show 5. Ultimately, it’s fine for listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and even some music, but its small size limits its sound quality and volume.
The camera is the only notable change here. The Home Monitoring feed viewed through my phone appears heavily blocky and blotchy in my apartment’s modest indoor lighting. It doesn’t come close to the much sharper picture the Echo Show 8 captures, and its field of view isn’t as wide. The upward-facing design of the camera isn’t very conducive to flattering angles, and with the relatively narrow field of view, it limits its usefulness for home monitoring.
That said, unlike the Echo Show 8, adjustable tilt or tilt-and-swivel table stands for the Echo Show 5 are available for $19 and $25, respectively, increasing its utility.
You can also consider getting an Amazon Fire tablet (like the Fire HD 10) and a stand. Fire tablets have a Show Mode option that effectively turn them into a smart display whenever you want, although sound quality isn’t nearly as good.
Still the Best Small Smart Display
If you already own the original Echo Show 5, the second-generation model doesn’t make any significant improvments. But at $84.99, it’s the most affordable smart display available, and its small size makes it easy to place just about anywhere, from your desk to your nightstand. The larger Echo Show 8 offers better audio, video, and camera performance for $129.99, in a size better suited to counters, while the Echo Show 10 is Amazon’s best smart display for video calls thanks to a rotating base that moves to track you, though it costs the most at $249.99. If you prefer Google Assistant to Alexa, meanwhile, the $99.99 Google Nest Hub has a larger, higher-resolution screen and the ability to track your sleep. But if you’re simply looking for the smallest, most affordable smart display out there, the Echo Show 5 is the one to get.
